Think Global, Act Local: 4 Highlights from APAC’s First Edition of ‘Live with Marketers’
What drives a global marketing campaign to success? Is it led by a team at headquarters or is it a combined effort from regional teams? Our senior APAC content lead Kate Mallord interviews LinkedIn marketing directors Danielle Uskovic, Vidya Subramanian, and Nico Lutkins on collaboration between global and local teams.
In case you missed it, here’s the full APAC livestream available on-demand:
Don’t have 44 minutes to see the whole video? No worries. We string together four highlights for you:
1. A successful campaign is a consistent one
Which campaign takes flight? Singapore Airlines. Being awarded the world’s best airline through the years didn’t happen overnight for the iconic airline. Danielle shares that the tremendous success of Singapore Airlines is found in the consistency and simplicity of its messaging through the years. You can see this consistency by watching an old SQ commercial from the 1970s and comparing that to this one from 2011. The airline has achieved branding not only in aviation but for an entire country.
2. Localization doesn’t equal translation
Creating success with a global marketing campaign means doing more than simply converting what works in one region onto the next. It’s never cut and paste.
“You really need to tap into that authenticity. Culture, language, there are many nuances you need to meet when you come up with a global campaign,” Danielle shares.
On developing the creative for a global scale, Vidya adds, “Finding that right balance of having purpose and delivering that [right] emotional content, but allowing a large enough umbrella so there’s flexibility if you are running it worldwide.”
3. Efficient communication between global teams = content leverage and saving on costs
Efficient communication can lead to saving costs. By knowing what other teams are doing globally, regional teams can leverage off of each other.
Danielle on how relationships matter. “Being in APAC, it’s not a friendly time particularly to the U.S.," she said. "But I’m grateful my counterparts keep me updated with what’s going on at all times.”
Nico, who uses video conferencing religiously, said, “We do a great job with internal communications. We have monthly newsletters. Our VP inputs and collects what other teams are doing from around the world. We encourage collaboration.”
4. Being pro-active pays off for both individual contributors and marketers who want excellence in region
Not everyone has a large marketing budget or a robust global marketing organisation. Kate asks Danielle, Vidya, and Nico on how individual contributors can break silos.
Danielle encourages marketers: “Think about who can help you be more successful. Put your hand out. Reach out. Don’t just sit back and expect it to come to you.”
Vidya on teamwork: “Don’t just tell them about what problem is in your market. Ask them if it’s a problem in their market. It fosters collaboration.”
Nico on synergy: “It’s not just the marketing team that needs to be aligned. There are lots of teams that need to be aligned on that one particular message. We have to ensure we’re not telling five different stories.”
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Live with Marketers is an award-winning livestream program that’s developed to gather thoughts, trends, and insights from marketers worldwide. The inaugural APAC livestream was broadcast from Singapore on 28 February 2019 and was hosted by Kate Mallord.
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